Comparative Evaluation of the Condition of Academic Graduate School (Middle 2000s – Late 2010s)

The main task of the article was to identify the dynamics of changing social characteristics of graduate students from research institutes of Novosibirsk Academgorodok. For the comparative analysis we used the data of polls conducted in 2005 and 2018. We compared such variables as the reasons for admission to graduate school, assessments of the current state of the main elements of scientific activity, the expectations of graduate students about their future profession, primarily a scientific career, criteria and factors of its success. Based on these results we planned to identify the main trends inherent in graduate studies as the main method of training personnel for Russian science. It is concluded that at present the system of training highly qualified scientific personnel in the country is in an unstable state. As a result, there is an active discussion in the professional community about ways of further reforming graduate school.

My Industry to Academia Research Journey And Energizing Innovations Among Malaysian Engineers

In this talk, the author would like to share her research journey from industry to academia, first in Malaysia and then in United States. She was fortunate to receive a strong science & mathematical education in Malaysia, trained as an engineer at University of Malaya, worked with a team of talented R&D engineers at Motorola Communication Sectors Sdn Bhd in Penang before she went to United States for graduate studies. In United States, again she was fortunate to have several mentors who helped to inspire her to conduct great research first in industry and then in academia. She will first share her research journal from Malaysia to United States. Next, based on her experience, she will share some main ingredients one needs to cultivate to conduct great research, e.g., curiosity, diligence, and perseverance. Subsequently, she will also share her thoughts on how industry leaders, academic leaders and Malaysian government can collaborate to energize innovations among Malaysian engineers as well as young generations aspiring to be our next generation engineers. Cultivating curiosity in STEM fields at young age, providing opportunities for high school students to appreciate science through solving real life problems with college students, and creating opportunities for faculty members in STEM fields to spend sabbatical semesters at top universities or industry R&D laboratories to horn their skills are necessary steps to energize innovations among Malaysian engineers.

The effect of working capital management and credit management policy on Jordanian banks’ financial performance

This study investigated the impact of Working Capital Management (WCM) and Credit Management Policy (CMP) on the Financial Performance (FP) of Jordanian banks (JB). The study data were obtained from 16 Jordanian banks listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) between 2017 and 2020. The study used panel data to investigate the relationship between the two independent variables, WCM and CMP, and the dependent variable FP; 64 financial reports to Jordanian banks were analyzed to measure this relationship. To test hypotheses, multiple regression was used. The study found a statistically significant relationship between WCM and FP, and the independent variable was able to explain 34.1% of the changes that occur in the dependent variable. In addition, the outcome approved that there is a statistically significant relationship between CMP and FP. Furthermore, CMP explained about 41.8% of changes in the dependent variable. The findings of this study indicate support for the banks’ performance; a bank may need to lengthen client credit terms, prolong the cash transfer cycle, and require a more extended payment period when judging on WCM. Acknowledgment The publication of this research has been supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies at Philadelphia University – Jordan.

Awareness about sexually transmitted diseases in women related to their age, education and income

Objective: To assess the level of awareness about sexually transmitted diseases in females coming from different age groups and to investigate the role that education and social status may play on their knowledge. Methods: Study design: Cross Sectional Setting: CMH Lahore Gynaecology Out Patient Department Time frame: June 2019 till July 2019. Sample size: 337 Inclusion criteria: Patients included in this study presented to the CMH Gynaecology OPD during June to July 2019 and gave an informed consent about participation in the research. Exclusion criteria: Anyone who did not give consent. Data collection: Patients were given a hard copy of the questionnaire to fill. Any queries were answered on the spot. Data Analysis: SPSS version 23. Results: Of the 337 patients interviewed, 158 were aged 26-35 years. 71 patients were undergraduates and 99 had completed post graduate studies. 205 patients belonged to families with an income of less than RS.50, 000. 229 females had presented for a routine pregnancy checkup. 244 of the 337 patients had attested to know about STD’s. The most common source of their knowledge was through TV (142), followed by the internet (137). 251 of the 337 patients were familiar with limited STDs such as AIDS and Hepatitis B. Conclusion: Age, level of education and income had a profound effect on the knowledge regarding Sexually transmitted diseases amongst the women in Pakistan. Keywords: Sexually transmitted diseases, sexual and reproductive health, STD’s, STI’s, venereal diseases.

An Overview of an Undergraduate Diversity MCH Pipeline Training Program: USF’s Train-A-Bull

Purpose To describe an undergraduate pipeline training program (PTP) designed to guide underrepresented minorities (URM) trainees into MCH-related health professions, ultimately contributing to a diverse maternal and child health (MCH) workforce that can improve health outcomes for all women/mothers, children, and their families, including fathers and children with special healthcare needs. Description Three cohorts with 35 total undergraduate trainees were recruited to participated in the 2 years USF MCH PTP program where they were mentored, trained, guided, and supported by program faculty/staff. Students were recruited early in their education track, and the program was individually tailored based on trainees’ educational discovery stages. Key program components included seminars, summer institutes, public health courses, mentorship, internship, experiential learning opportunities, and professional networking opportunities. Assessment The majority of the undergraduate participants were diverse URMs including Hispanic/Latino (37.1%), Black/African American (31.4%), Asian (20%), and American Indian/Alaskan Native (5.7%) trainees. Out of all the cohorts, 51.4% were first-generation college students and 74.3% had economic hardships (i.e., PELL Grant, FAFSA). Resulting from the program, all cohorts increased in educational discovery stages, one-third enrolled in health-related graduate studies and half joined the MCH workforce. Conclusion Recruitment in pipeline programs should be intentional and meet students where they are in their education discovery stage. The use of educational discovery stages within a pipeline program are useful in both tailoring curriculum to individuals’ needs and assessment of progression in career decision-making. Mentoring from program staff remains an important component for pipeline programs.

Digital Mentoring via Emerging Technologies

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation era and the evolution from mentoring to e-mentoring. One of the groups most affected by this situation is the mentees doing graduate studies. In this context, e-mentoring enables the mentee and mentor to carry out their academic study using digital technologies in mutual interaction, regardless of time and geographical space. This study is designed as a case study of the qualitative research methods where the study group consists of graduate students. Five main themes and 14 sub-themes are determined from the interviews with mentees on e-mentoring perceptions. According to the research findings, mentees prefer a two-stage approach in mentee-mentor matching. Mentees emphasize that they favor matching with emerging technologies at the first stage and finalizing the mentor selection process by mentee-mentor face-to-face negotiation in the second stage. Mentees also mention that besides some e-mentoring advantages, there are psycho-social benefits of face-to-face mentoring.

“Computational Thinking” From Pre-K to Graduate Studies to Life

If societies are to advance, they have to be able to harness the capabilities of their technologies in broad and efficient ways. One such technology is computation, writ large, which has crept into so many aspects of modern life. “Computational thinking,” as a bridge between people and computation-based and generalizable problem solving, is a multi-step approach that has seeped into pre-K through graduate school in formal (accredited) learning, nonformal (non-accredited) learning, and informal (byproduct) learning. This work explores what peer-shared open-learning resources are available for this approach based on a multi-channel search of the Social Web through social imagery, shared (digital) learning objects, shared slideshows, and social videos.

Academia and Motherhood: A Narrative Inquiry of Ontario Academic Mothers’ Experiences in University Graduate Programs

This research provides a qualitative narrative inquiry into the experiences of academic mothers from a Southwestern Ontario university campus. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews and focus groups reveal six key themes regarding the nexus between motherhood and academia: (1) intersection of work and family; (2) embodied experiences of pregnancy; (3) mentoring and networking opportunities; (4) inconsistencies between institutional and program policies; (5) departmental support; and (6) an overall level of satisfaction in being a mother during graduate studies. These key findings are discussed and highlight some of the challenges associated with balancing motherhood, graduate studies, and family life. Issues related to maternal well-being, gender equity, diversity, and inclusion within academia are also discussed and shed light on the experiences of this increasing, yet largely overlooked demographic on Canadian university campuses.

Understanding How to Strengthen the Neurology Pipeline With Insight From Undergraduate Neuroscience Students

Despite increased neuroscience interest at the undergraduate level, a significant shortage of neurologists in the United States (US) exists. To better understand how to generate more interest in neurology specifically at the undergraduate level, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey of 1085 undergraduates either in neuroscience courses or majoring/minoring in neuroscience from across the US to better understand their clinical neurology experiences and perspectives. The survey quantitatively and qualitatively assessed students’ clinical neurology exposure inside and outside of the classroom, research experiences and career goals. Students were from a broad spectrum of undergraduate institutions (public research university (40.8%), liberal arts College (29.7%) and private research university (29.0%). Most students (89.9%) were looking to pursue graduate studies; 56.9% reported wanting to be a physician and 17.8% expressed interest in obtaining an MD/PhD. Importantly, students reported first exposure to neuroscience at age 16 but felt that they could be exposed to neuroscience as early as 13. Half (50.5%) decided to major in neuroscience before college and a quarter (25.6%) decided to major in their first year of college. Despite high interest in clinical neurology exposure, less than one-third of students had spoken with or shadowed a neurologist, and only 13.6% had interacted with clinical neurology populations. Only 20.8% of students felt volunteer and internship opportunities were sufficiently available. Qualitative results include student perspectives from those who did and did not work with a neurologist, describing how they were or were not able to obtain such opportunities. We discuss translating the survey findings into actionable results with opportunities to target the undergraduate neuroscience interest to improve the neurology pipeline. We describe existing programs that could be integrated into everyday neurology practices and new approaches to learning and training to help leverage the significant undergraduate neuroscience interest. We also raise questions for further research, including exploring (1) how students learn of neurologic conditions/expand their knowledge about additional neurologic conditions, (2) whether qualitative investigation of the experiences of neuroscience undergraduates at specific institutions might provide additional insight, and (3) systems to maintain interest in neuroscience/neurology as students enter medical school.

Writing Skills Development for Graduate Studies and Career Readiness in Science and Aging Fields: A Case Study Approach

Increasing the number of racially and ethnically underrepresented students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging offers an opportunity to increase the number of aging specialists while simultaneously promoting diversity in the research labor market and supporting new ideas. This case study aims to better understand how students participating in an academic preparatory program experience a writing class contextualized within (1) students' writing background and (2) students' future ambitions related to science and aging. The individually-tailored writing class was taught as a critical component of a comprehensive educational program that targets underrepresented racial and ethnic minority undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing scientific graduate studies in fields related to aging. The researchers conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with students (n = 4) enrolled in the 24-month fellowship training program, which included participation in the writing course during the summer prior to their senior year of undergraduate education. All participants were young adult college students who identified as Black or African American and female. Using thematic coding, statements about professional writing skills were divided into four primary themes: (1) prior experiences, (2) class experiences, (3) future goals and ambitions, and (4) structural considerations. These themes suggest potential implications for effective interventions aimed to advance the writing skills and academic and career readiness of racially and ethnically diverse students entering fields of science and aging.